Exclusive: Steven Sater Gave Update on Musical NERO With Duncan Sheik 2 Weeks Before His Death

Duncan Sheik’s frequent collaborator Steven Sater spoke highly about their musical Nero, which is scheduled to open this fall in London, less than three weeks before the songwriter died at age 56. 

“I’m so excited about Nero,” Sater exclusively told BroadwayWorld in an interview that took place on August 31. “We had been working on Nero for so long. The last proper workshop we had done was with Lea Michele, Idina Menzel and Michael Arden in 2009, and it was thrilling.” 

Andrew Barth Feldman is slated to star in the new musical from the Tony Award-winning Spring Awakening creators about Roman emperor Nero. It features a book and lyrics by Sater with music by Sheik. 

Sheik, who rose to fame with the 1996 pop song “Barely Breathing” before becoming a force in the musical theater landscape, was working on new projects up until his untimely death on September 17. He died of heart failure leading to cardiac arrest, per People. 

When it came to Nero, Sater explained, “We spent the past couple of years developing this in London, and it’s been brilliant. It could not be more timely, I’ll say that. And the fact that it’s opening right before the midterms — if indeed we have midterms — is kind of remarkable.” 

The musical, Sater said, is “really about this thwarted theater kid who wants to just be a star, and his mom pushes him into the seat of power, and he’s like, ‘Okay, I’ll try playing emperor.’” 

“It’s hugely Shakespearean,” Sater explained, adding that the musical has “epic themes” and all this “dirty, scandalous, outrageous stuff of ancient Rome.”

The songs, he said, are “totally on brand for Duncan and me, but they’re different — there’s a waltz, there’s a samba, there’s a tango.” 

Sater and Sheik won a Tony Award for Best Original Score of Spring Awakening, for which Sheik was also awarded Best Orchestrations. The groundbreaking rock musical, featuring haunting songs about self-discovery and teen angst, also won the Tony for Best Musical. 

Lindsay Posner is directing Nero, with choreography by James Cousins. 

“We’re launching it in this theater called Southwark Elephant,” said Sater. “It’s sort of like going back to the Atlantic, for me.”

When asked if the creative team thinks Nero may cross the pond and play in New York City, Sater told BroadwayWorld, “I hope so. I think someone could do it here. It’s only seven actors and ensemble.”

After all, added Sater, “I’m the guy who always believed that Spring Awakening could succeed on Broadway.” 

Sheik’s other new musical Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen, an adaptation of Moyoco Anno’s manga, is scheduled to begin performances at The Night Egg at Culture Club in Chelsea on September 25, in a new production from Rob Ashford.  

An Off-Broadway revival of Sater and Sheik’s groundbreaking musical Spring Awakening, directed by Tony Award winner Danya Taymor with choreography by Celia Rowlson-Hall, is scheduled to open this fall. 

Spring Awakening is also celebrating the original Broadway cast recording being released by Decca Broadway next month on vinyl. 

“Listening to this album is so transporting for me,” Sater told BroadwayWorld.